Other notes

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE TRIP TO GUATEMALA

A group of faculty, students and staff will travel to Guatemala in January to volunteer with Partners in Development near the city of San Antonio, about an hour and a half from Guatemala City. From Jan. 2 to 9, the group will build a house for one of the poorest families in a surrounding village, according to theology professor Steven Bridge, who is coordinating the trip. Guatemala is the second-poorest nation in North America.

INTERNATIONALLY SPEAKING

Study abroad works both ways. International students studying on campus this semester include Magdalena Melcher from Ratingen, Germany, and Marco Crestani of Magenta, Italy. Melcher is an education major at Universität Bielefeld in Bielefeld, Germany, while Crestani is a communications major at Università degli Studi di Urbino in Urbino, Italy. Going the other way across the Atlantic Ocean are two Saint Joseph’s students. Senior international business major Lindsey Alexander is studying abroad at Aalborg University in Aalborg, Denmark, for the fall semester. Mathew Salch, a junior psychology major, is at Universität Dortmund, in Dortmund, Germany, for the fall semester. After independent study last year with President David House, a German scholar, Salch wanted to immerse himself further in the German language and culture.

IT’S A CLASSIC

Saint Joseph’s College now offers a Classics major rooted in strong Classical language study in both Greek and Latin.

“In these courses, students are reading some of the greatest literature ever written,” says academic dean Daniel Sheridan. The wide range of literature includes drama, poetry, history, philosophy, politics, ancient medicine and oratory. “While the works were written in the past, they impinge on contemporary issues,” Dr. Sheridan says.

A minor in Classics was introduced in 2000 after the arrival of professor Reginald Hannaford in the 1990s.

“Some students take Greek or Latin as their language requirement and become fascinated and inspired by Professor Hannaford’s teaching,” says Sheridan.

The Classics major prepares students for graduate study in Classics and in liberal arts fields such as philosophy, theology, history and English – which often require a Classical language background. In tandem with a minor in secondary education, it also prepares students for teaching high school Latin.

SAINT JOSEPH'S WELCOMES NEW FACULTY MEMBERS

Saint Joseph’s College is pleased to introduce and welcome five new full-time professors to its faculty this fall:

Assistant professor of chemistry Nicholas Benfaremo of South Portland grew up in Queens, N.Y., and holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania, a B.S. degree from Polytechnic University of New York, and a B.S. degree from Manhattan College. Dr. Benfaremo previously taught at the University of Southern Maine and Vassar College.

Christopher Bond of Cape Elizabeth, assistant professor of business administration, was previously a tax manager with PricewaterhouseCoopers and TD Banknorth. A graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, he has an M.B.A. from the University of New Hampshire and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maine School of Law. He is a licensed certified public accountant in Maine and a member of the bar in both Massachusetts and Maine.

Assistant professor of nursing Debra Riendeau of Waterboro grew up in Massachusetts and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing from Washington State University. She is also an adult psychiatric and mental health nurse practitioner, in addition to teaching at Saint Joseph’s.

Beth Richardson of Cape Elizabeth, assistant professor of business administration, has a Juris Doctor degree from American University and a B.A. degree from Bowdoin College. She also directs The Academic Center and Year.One program on campus.

Michael Rombeiro of Portland, assistant professor of philosophy, holds both an M.A. and a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America and a B.S. from Queen’s University, Ontario. Dr. Rombeiro grew up in Toronto.

ALUMNUS NAMED NEW
DEAN OF ADMISSION

Vincent J. Kloskowski, III ’95 has recently been appointed Dean of Admission at the College. He is an honors graduate and has been a member of the admission staff since 1997, most recently as senior associate director.

Kloskowski completed his master’s degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College, while serving as an admission officer there in the Carroll Graduate School of Management and adjunct lecturer in the Lynch School of Education.

Kloskowski was voted Outstanding College Admission Counselor of the Year for Maine in 2000 and earned the Human Relations Award for Excellence in College Admission Counseling in 2003 from New England Association for College Admission Counseling (NEACAC). He also serves as an assembly delegate for NEACAC and is active in many professional organizations.

MARINE SCIENCE MAJOR AT SJC

Saint Joseph’s College is the only liberal arts college in Maine offering a major in marine science, and one of the few small colleges in the Northeast to do so.

The Marine Science program, established in 2001, includes Dr. Mark Green (ocean geochemistry), Dr. Greg Teegarden (ecosystem ecology), Dr. Ray Gerber (biodiversity and ecology), and Dr. Jeanne Gulnick (marine microbiology and chemistry).

Faculty members guide students through investigations of the geological, physical, chemical and biological characteristics of ocean systems, and students receive training on the fresh waters of Maine as well. A heavy emphasis on field work ensures that students will spend ample time learning the discipline in stimulating locations – the rocky coast, mudflats, estuaries, the sea floor, even the open waters of the Gulf of Maine.

All faculty members are active in research, and student involvement is a key component. Collaborations with organizations such as Friends of Casco Bay and Portland Water District are also important.